WHAT A DAY. That magic moment at the full time whistle of the EYHL Playoffs yesterday was many years in the making. To everyone who has given so much of themselves to the club, at all levels – and in particular Sarah Green, Jeananne Fennelly, Deirdre Mathews & Ann Ronan; to the many players who have weathered the storm throughout the seasons; to our sponsors who backed us to make the next step up, especially Eoin O’Neill Property Advisers; to those who have supported us along the way, at all levels, in all eras; and to THIS special group – THANK YOU! Muckross is a family – and it was fitting that our impromptu victory party in Kiely’s was a real family affair; as was the support system that got us over the line at the weekend and throughout the season as a whole. The support has been SUPER. We can’t put a measure on how many hours of hard graft and preparation that Scottie & Freda have put into this, since they first gathered their troops for pre-season way back in August. The Dynamic Duo have been INCREDIBLE to watch at work. And as for their squad – the young stars that played such a pivotal role in our landmark return to top-flight hockey back in 2015 are now the leaders of today’s team, alongside new Muckross Magicians who’ve joined our ranks, old friends who’ve made such a welcome return to them, and the immense young talent that has broken through. Intensely focused momentum instilled a strong belief which led them to a first Leinster Division One title...

“IT’S OVER! WE HAVE WON! WE’RE GOING TO THE EYHL!” If you were following our journey through the EYHL Provincial Playoffs over the weekend – these were the magic words. The words we were all waiting and wishing to hear; the words our club has worked so hard for. Just after 5:30PM on Sunday evening, we got to say them. We can’t quite believe it. What a difference 12 months makes. This time last year – Scottie, Freda and our gals in green n’ white stood dejected on the pitch in Rathdown as their season’s efforts and EYHL Playoffs journey ended in tears. Yesterday, they stood in that familiar post-match team huddle together again – as the Leinster Champions, having just booked a direct ticket to the national league. It was a weekend of high-intensity hockey action to get there – five teams, four matches, one winner. Muckross started the weekend strong on Saturday morning, beating the Connacht champions NUIG 3-0 in their opening game – the goals coming from Natasha Twomey, and Yasmin Pratt on the double. A few hours of recovery and it was on to the next challenge – our provincial rivals Old Alex. The pace of the match was relentless – but after 50 minutes and a number of heart-stopping moments, it ended all square. A win and a draw for the day. Two clean sheets. A solid start. Saturday evening was spent on recovery in the team hotel, getting good grub on board, analysing the day’s performance, and doing the homework on what was to come. Two more matches – win them both, and...